I am thinking of buying a riding lawn mower. I have been looking at 20 hp 42" lawn mowers from craftsman and cub cadet. They are about the same price, so I was wondering if people think one is better than the other. pros and cons of each? i would also use this mower for plowing/blowing in th winter. help?

jymie

01-07-2011, 07:02 PM

Depends on what your usage will be, if its just for your own driveway and yard, or if its for the business. Craftsman is more for personal useage, not a very good machine to depend on for several lawns a day all week long. I started with a 42" craftsman mower, it has given me 2 years of service for the business but I have also put quite a bit into it in deck repairs etc.

picframer

01-07-2011, 07:21 PM

As noted, personal or commercial, may help if you post the model numbers. I know very little about cub, it seems to be rare that I hear anything good about Craftsman, I do know I see their products at the local Deere dealership every week for repair as the local Sears seems to be out straight on a constant basis fixing things. It's quite a site after our first major snow storm.

yearroundyardwork

01-07-2011, 08:54 PM

the mower would be for a commercial use. i would be happy if i had 10 lawns a week with it though. as for snow removal, 10 driveways a storm, with about 5 decent storms a year. the craftsman one's item # is 07128922000. the cub cadet is the ltx-1040.

turfmaster

01-07-2011, 10:05 PM

I am thinking of buying a riding lawn mower. I have been looking at 20 hp 42" lawn mowers from craftsman and cub cadet. They are about the same price, so I was wondering if people think one is better than the other. pros and cons of each? i would also use this mower for plowing/blowing in th winter. help?

There both junk I wouldn't buy either.
Your better off buying a used John Deere (not the ones they sell at HomeDepot)
Especially if your gonna use it for snow removal. Deere's attachments are much better.:)

picframer

01-08-2011, 06:01 AM

There both junk I wouldn't buy either.
Your better off buying a used John Deere (not the ones they sell at HomeDepot)
Especially if your gonna use it for snow removal. Deere's attachments are much better.:)

Agreed, these are entry level homeowner units, you would probably get a year or two out of them however I would personally get a used garden tractor, not a lawn tractor, if for commercial use. You can search used ones in your area on Machine Finder http://www.machinefinder.com/

yearroundyardwork

01-08-2011, 09:43 AM

ok i will look at that. what is the difference between a garden tractor and a lawn tractor?

picframer

01-08-2011, 10:08 AM

ok i will look at that. what is the difference between a garden tractor and a lawn tractor?

Serious differences from the motor, frame, transmission, front end etc. I think just about every manufacturer makes a low cost entry level tractor but the larger companies, Deere, Kubota, Cub also make a commercial unit which is referred to as a Garden Tractor. One is made with a 400+ hour life, garden tractors are 2,500 plus and will take the abuse.

yearroundyardwork

01-08-2011, 12:00 PM

ok so the garden tractors are built bigger and will last longer, which is what i need. which company makes tractors that need the least amount of repairs?

picframer

01-08-2011, 07:50 PM

ok so the garden tractors are built bigger and will last longer, which is what i need. which company makes tractors that need the least amount of repairs?

I am bias to John Deere as I have a lot of their gear, Garden Tractors, CUTS, Backhoe's and excavators, Kubota, Massey and others make excellent tractors also, what is critical is a good local dealer. I also belong to My Tractor Forum, any question you could have has probably been answered there by brand, by size of machine. You may want to take a quick read there also. It's a massive forum with thousands of users http://www.mytractorforum.com/

JL ProCut

01-08-2011, 11:13 PM

Craftsman and cub cadet are both made by MTD
so just pick the color you like better

yearroundyardwork

01-10-2011, 08:49 PM

would a decent walk behind be better than a riding/garden tractor? i know i wouldn't be able to do many other things with it(i.e. plowing, hauling, etc.) but i have heard from a family friend who owns a business that they are more reliable and work better. would getting a decent wide-are walk-behind and a snowblower be equivalent to a garden tractor with a blower attachment? and the walking part is not a factor.

JL ProCut

01-10-2011, 11:11 PM

would a decent walk behind be better than a riding/garden tractor? i know i wouldn't be able to do many other things with it(i.e. plowing, hauling, etc.) but i have heard from a family friend who owns a business that they are more reliable and work better. would getting a decent wide-are walk-behind and a snowblower be equivalent to a garden tractor with a blower attachment? and the walking part is not a factor.

any zero turn will work faster that a traditional rider. that being said they make lawn tractors that have zero turn and then would be able to have the plow and other attachments. something to think about

Hedgemaster

01-11-2011, 12:12 AM

Craftsman and cub cadet are both made by MTD
so just pick the color you like better

That's funny.

:D

yearroundyardwork

01-17-2011, 04:31 PM

what would be a good size deck for a walk behind? i've been told between 33-48". would a smaller deck be better for manuverability or a larger deck for getting lawns done quicker be better?

Steve

01-18-2011, 01:46 AM

Do you have any lawns you need to fit the mower through a narrow gate? If so, you need to take that into account.

JLH Pro Lawn Care

01-18-2011, 02:20 AM

what would be a good size deck for a walk behind? i've been told between 33-48". would a smaller deck be better for manuverability or a larger deck for getting lawns done quicker be better?

I run a 48" Bob Cat walk behind and for just about everything it is a great size but for back yards with small gates it ain't goin in and I have to swap mowers...This season I am hoping to add a 36" walk behind or zero turn for back yards:D

Get a snow blower and a walk behind or ZTR and stay away from home equipment as it is not built for commercial use and will end up being less reliable and more expensive in the long run..just my .02c:cool:

yearroundyardwork

01-18-2011, 10:18 PM

I haven't noticed many lawns that have fences in the local area. However, almost every house in the 1/2 mile radius has septic systems and most yards have a hill. Further out the lawns get somewhat larger and are on city services.

As to snow, I have this great shovel that cuts time in 1/3 with lighter snow and 1/2 with heavier. It's cheap and works great and I'll post the link on here later. It works well, but if I get more driveways I would either have to pay more guys or buy a snow blower. Would having a snowblower with a larger width(say 45") be better than having two guys with smaller blowers(about 24" each)? The smaller blowers are cheaper but the extra guy or two would cost me each driveway I do. Help?

Steve

01-19-2011, 01:26 AM

Would having a snowblower with a larger width(say 45") be better than having two guys with smaller blowers(about 24" each)? The smaller blowers are cheaper but the extra guy or two would cost me each driveway I do. Help?

I'd go with using 1 snow blower and 1 guy.

picframer

01-19-2011, 04:54 AM

I'd go with using 1 snow blower and 1 guy.

Agree with Steve, however are the driveways daved or gravel? Shear pin brake's on gravel driveways can be a pain, make sure you buy a unit that they are easy to change, get insurance as one never knows when a flying rock may brake something.

mzlawncare

01-19-2011, 06:48 AM

I have cub ztr and a craftsman professional series trimmer and I have had realy good luck ew with both of them.

yearroundyardwork

01-19-2011, 09:50 PM

Most driveways are paved. Some have rough spots where there is brick or small stones but I just sweep those off. As for the insurance thing, I amnonly 16 and I don't have ankle as to how to get it. I do remember that Steve mentioned it in a podcast at some point but I haven't had time to investigate more. Any suggestions?

The Cleaning Doctor

01-20-2011, 12:01 AM

Craftsman and cub cadet are both made by MTD
so just pick the color you like better

LOL that is a good one..... MTD = My Tractor Died

wandfsmall

01-20-2011, 12:04 PM

Most craftsman mowers are made by AYP they will be a Husquvarna or Poulan mower. As for quality they are the same as MTD/Cub so not sure how much help that fact will be but wanted to set the data strait. As for commercial use you will have more repairs on anything you can buy at a mass merchant. They want you to buy more stuff not repair the things you have. Also in most cases a dealer could sell the same thing at the same price we just tell you the truth and say it will not hold up for a yard let alone commercial use.

an update you will find some of the better cub stuff at a cub dealer that is decent, and Craftsman will have a ZTR made by Bobcat that is overpriced but a decent mower for light commercial use. You can buy the same mower at a bobcat dealer for a few hundred less with a better engine though.

Growing Green

01-20-2011, 12:31 PM

Most craftsman mowers are made by AYP they will be a Husquvarna or Poulan mower. As for quality they are the same as MTD/Cub so not sure how much help that fact will be but wanted to set the data strait. As for commercial use you will have more repairs on anything you can buy at a mass merchant. They want you to buy more stuff not repair the things you have. Also in most cases a dealer could sell the same thing at the same price we just tell you the truth and say it will not hold up for a yard let alone commercial use.

an update you will find some of the better cub stuff at a cub dealer that is decent, and Craftsman will have a ZTR made by Bobcat that is overpriced but a decent mower for light commercial use. You can buy the same mower at a bobcat dealer for a few hundred less with a better engine though.

What is your take on John Deere tractors/mowers?

Matt

wandfsmall

01-20-2011, 10:18 PM

What is your take on John Deere tractors/mowers?

Matt

I think that as with any John Deere you pay more for the green paint. for the price of a decent tractor you can have a ztr. John Deere makes junk as well as the other major tractor for the mass merchant.

Growing Green

01-20-2011, 10:28 PM

I think that as with any John Deere you pay more for the green paint. for the price of a decent tractor you can have a ztr. John Deere makes junk as well as the other major tractor for the mass merchant.

Aww darn was hoping that they were good. Was looking at their new zero turn the other day and it looked awesome. What brand do you suggest then? I don't have to have top of the line, but I want maybe the best brand before the top of the line. I want to have uniformed equipment as best as I can.

I'm just starting out, but next big buy is the Stihl Kombi system then from there I'll be getting a 36" Walk Behind. I'm only going to get Stihl products for hand held items and want to concentrate on what brand I want to get for walk behind, zero turn, etc... I don't want to have a whole bunch of different brands.

I appreciate your help,
Matt

P.S.
By the way, I did like the green as it goes good with the name of my business. :-)

wandfsmall

01-20-2011, 10:58 PM

Aww darn was hoping that they were good. Was looking at their new zero turn the other day and it looked awesome. What brand do you suggest then? I don't have to have top of the line, but I want maybe the best brand before the top of the line. I want to have uniformed equipment as best as I can.

I'm just starting out, but next big buy is the Stihl Kombi system then from there I'll be getting a 36" Walk Behind. I'm only going to get Stihl products for hand held items and want to concentrate on what brand I want to get for walk behind, zero turn, etc... I don't want to have a whole bunch of different brands.

I appreciate your help,
Matt

P.S.
By the way, I did like the green as it goes good with the name of my business. :-)

Well as for Zeros the best in price and Quality right now would be Bob-Cat and to save you some money on the Kombi look at the new echo... I do not carry echo myself and in most cases think they are lower quality but that system looks pretty good compared to stihl and better priced. I am not a stihl fan though they release no information and have been dropping dealers for hardware stores with no repair techs, this is a bad combo setting up areas with no knowlege at all about the equipment.

But my fav mower is still the Hustlers easy and smooth.

Growing Green

01-21-2011, 09:25 AM

Well as for Zeros the best in price and Quality right now would be Bob-Cat and to save you some money on the Kombi look at the new echo... I do not carry echo myself and in most cases think they are lower quality but that system looks pretty good compared to stihl and better priced. I am not a stihl fan though they release no information and have been dropping dealers for hardware stores with no repair techs, this is a bad combo setting up areas with no knowlege at all about the equipment.

But my fav mower is still the Hustlers easy and smooth.

Ok cool. Thanks for the info! I have a Stihl dealer about 3 miles away from me and they are quick on the turn around which is what has encouraged me even more to go Stihl. They also sell Cub Cadet, but from what I'm reading they are not a good brand.

Thanks again!

Matt

wandfsmall

01-21-2011, 09:53 AM

Ok cool. Thanks for the info! I have a Stihl dealer about 3 miles away from me and they are quick on the turn around which is what has encouraged me even more to go Stihl. They also sell Cub Cadet, but from what I'm reading they are not a good brand.

Thanks again!

Matt

well if you like the shop and that is why your buying stihl then your making a good choice. do they carry anything other then cub as well?

Growing Green

01-21-2011, 10:14 AM

well if you like the shop and that is why your buying stihl then your making a good choice. do they carry anything other then cub as well?

Unfortunately, he doesn't, although he does work on any brand he just won't have parts.

Matt

wandfsmall

01-21-2011, 12:37 PM

Unfortunately, he doesn't, although he does work on any brand he just won't have parts.

Matt

if you want a quality cut you need a good setup, I would look at the Cub if I were in your shoes. A good mechanic can make the mower.

yearroundyardwork

01-24-2011, 06:47 PM

ok. another thing. snowblower: 1 or 2 stage? here in cincinnati we rarely get more than 6" of snow at a time. so its small enough a 1 stage could handle it. 2 stage blowers have wider intakes and could handle the larger amounts of snow when we have them, but they are also more expensive.